


Dimitri Needs A Win

by PWN3D



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anxiety, Dimitri is in denial, First Time, Flirting, Friendship, Ingrid to the rescue, M/M, No Spoilers, Sylvain and Claude to the rescue, slight romance, spicy chapter 2, tinge of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-08-19 11:44:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20209192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PWN3D/pseuds/PWN3D
Summary: While Dimitri appreciates Sylvain's concern about his love life, he believes he is doing just fine, thank you. So why does he feel so down all the time?Desperate times call for desperate measures. It's time for Sylvain to recruit help from across house lines.





	1. Chapter 1

_“What about you?” Sylvain flashed a charming grin, one that wasn’t as earnest as it had been in their youth. “I wanna see you with a girl on your arm.”_

He was never one to back down from a challenge, especially when its origin was one as absurd as Sylvain. It had sounded so easy.

He should have known better.

“You’re a prince, right? Like, _the_ prince.” She smiled as her eyes flashed with recognition and oh, down this path again, Dimitri thought solemnly. Always after his rank or power or his damned crest rather than _him_.

“Ah, perhaps, but—”

“So of course, we should grab lunch together. It would be an honor, your Highness!” She added an over-the-top bow to her pledge. Her friends’ mouths shaped into small o’s. A few looked jealous? It was hard to tell.

It made him a bit sick, not that he’d tell any of them that. At home any romantic pursuits were overshadowed by responsibility or tragedy, but here was… different. There were plenty of commoners his age eager to move up in rank to please their families, sponsors, or just themselves. In addition to that, other noble families from Faerghus that had lost esteemed status were constantly looking to regain it through his bachelor status. It was hard to trust these days. Unfortunately for this girl, she seemed to fall into category two of his internal avoidance catalog.

“Actually, I… believe I have misinterpreted my schedule. There is no availability for such activities, good day.” It was a flimsy excuse, but he was sticking to it. Now the girl seemed upset, confused? Her face was red, at least. He felt a brief note of panic, so, with a practiced motion, he turned away, cape fluttering regally off his shoulder as he did so.

A brutally fast walking pace in the complete opposite direction solved most of his problems, and luckily this one was no exception.

-+-

Stupid Sylvain. Stupid girls. Why did everyone expect such a thing of him? He just wanted somebody to want to do anything remotely romantic with him for no reason other than that they wanted to. It was a small request in the grand scheme of things.

In addition to that, it would help if the pressure from the few people he did trust was in the right direction. He couldn’t completely pass the blame to them, as he’d only been able to bring himself to confide in Sylvain about his true interests after enduring another awful night of ‘get Dimitri laid.’ So surely Sylvain would have to have some idea of how difficult it would be for him to show up with a girl in his arm. His hopes were in vain, it seemed.

Truly, the fact that nobody else had noticed his rather profound attraction to the same sex was rather astounding. Or, a small part of his mind supplied, they had noticed – how could they not? And they were merely protecting his best interests. It would make his entire life easier if he fell in love with a beautiful noblewoman, obtained a true heir, and lived happily ever after like he was supposed to.

At least there was nothing wrong with just thinking about, looking at, or lusting over guys more than girls. Well, there probably was. Best to keep such things carefully bottled back up, he reminded himself glumly, visualizing chucking a locked box off a high mountain ledge. Into a void. One that preferably led to another realm. If Sylvain had suppressed the knowledge then he could too.

Such thoughts plagued his steps as he all but ran down the corridor of the entrance hall. Why did everything have to be so difficult all the time?

His thoughts were interrupted when a monk dared to step across his path’s trajectory and was nearly barreled over in return. Thankfully there was no time for needless feelings in the middle of his formal apology to the bewildered monk. He was getting far too sentimental these days.

-+-

“Hey Dimitri!” There was that false cheeriness again, obvious enough for even him to pick up on it. “We’re going out to town today, wanna tag along? We’ve got room for one more!” Annette seemed to be really trying.

Maybe it was Mercedes’ influence. “Yes, we’d love to have you along. You have such good taste in formal wear, I know I’d appreciate your input for sure.” Annette chimed in her agreement.

They looked so hopeful, so damned nice. How did these two manage it all the time? “Ah no, it’s probably for the best I stay back. I have an important new technique the professor wanted me to work on. You will have to enjoy it for me today, I’m afraid.” His smile felt like one of Dedue’s. Unnatural. Stiff.

He hadn’t totally lied though, his schedule had been hastily filled with training, training, and more training until there was no room left for anything else. It’d seemed a good idea last night after he’d locked himself in his room.

“Are you sure? You’ve been in quite the funk lately, it’s good to get a change of scenery you know,” Mercedes added helpfully. So even she’d noticed.

“I am sure.” Dimitri could feel his smile fade into something more genuine. Their kindness really was touching. “Thank you.”

They gave hesitant farewells before departing, leaving him alone in the training grounds. May as well get to it, it would be nice to feel strong for a moment. In command. He picked up a lance and set about shredding every training target in reach until all his other thoughts faded away under the strain of exercise.

He kept it up until the sunlight gave way to the darkness of night and his muscles and joints protested further movement. Another day successfully burned through. At least there was only the numbness of fatigue remaining; he could chalk up any of his damned feelings to that. The thought was angry and led to him putting the training lance back into storage with a bit more force than was necessary.

Dimitri found himself apologizing to the wooden storage rack before he caught himself, stopped, and left in a slightly embarrassed hurry.

The hallways weren’t so busy at this hour with most students either working on their studies or eating dinner with their friends. He didn’t quite feel up to either if he was being honest with himself, but if he were to go straight to the baths then bed Dedue was sure to show up in his room, refusing to leave until dinner was eaten. Curse his loyalty.

He backtracked so that he could head to the dining hall. Be seen by his classmates and then he could head to bed. That was all that had to be done.

Rounding the corner, he was met with the sight of Sylvain leant up against a column, appealing to a small group of some Black Eagle students. Successfully, apparently, if their giggles and enraptured gazes were anything to go by.

“…and then, I said to her, baby, you’re the only one for me and I –”

“Sylvain.” Dimitri cut in before he turned full heartbreaker, grabbing him by the shoulder as to pull him away. “Dinner is soon, why don’t you accompany me along the way.” There was no room for debate.

Sylvain shook free of the grip rather immediately but followed regardless after giving an overly saccharine goodbye to the girls. He probably didn’t even know their names. A lecture brewed in his chest but he didn’t really want to spare the effort. And besides, his friend had heard it all before.

Sylvain was giving him an odd look. “So, where’s the lecture, huh?”

“What do you mean?” He tried to sound earnest.

His eyes narrowed. “Well normally you or Ingrid set off into this whole spiel about integrity and honor, or respecting boundaries. I was so ready for that.”

“Try to not sound so flippant about it. Those are very important subjects, Sylvain.”

“Trust me, I’ve heard the talk enough to know it by heart.”

Conversation lulled.

“Sooo.”

Dimitri raised his eyebrows at him as they rounded a corner on their way to the dining hall. A classmate gave them a cheery hello as they walked past and Dimitri simply nodded in return.

“You’re in a suspiciously poor mood today, aren’t you.” Sylvain had stopped walking and was standing by the pathway’s topiary, looking at him. Still an odd look.

Dimitri’s response was slow so he could think over every word. “Not entirely… I had a very productive day training.”

A slow smile broke out across Sylvain’s face. It wasn’t a happy one exactly, but a smile was a smile. “No way. I know ‘I got caught up in my training’ Dimitri. Right now you’re more ‘I’m in a funk so I took it out on the training grounds’ Dimitri.” Sylvain pulled him out of the pathway’s center, expression mock serious. “I mean you didn’t give me The Lecture. So tell me. What’s up?”

Okay, there was the shame again. The twisted knot of thoughts he’d been harboring. He looked anywhere but at Sylvain, the topiary suddenly incredibly interesting. “Well…”

Sylvain made a small noise. “Don’t tell me you actually tried asking a girl out. You’re blushing. Oh man, I didn’t believe you’d go through with it. You gotta leave that sort of thing to the experts. Please tell me you didn’t do the dagger thi—”

“No!” Some passerby looked over at him and suddenly he was aware of just how public of a setting this was. He cleared his throat. “No, enough with the dagger thing, please.” He could tell by Sylvain’s face that there was no easy way out of this conversation. “You are somewhat correct. I asked a girl but…” he trailed off with a shrug.

To his credit, Sylvain softened his intensity a bit, probably in preparation for the pep talk he normally gave out in such situations. “Ahh, I see. Well.” He searched for the right words, and voice lowered he continued. “You could ask out a _guy_, you know.”

This blush had less to do with shame than it had to do with actual embarrassment. “Shh – Sylvain!”

“Oh please. You have no idea how painful it is to watch you try and get romantically involved with a woman. Honestly.”

“I-it is not painful –"

“Yes it is!” Sylvain’s voice had a serious tone. Dimitri quieted his protests; they shared a look when Dimitri stopped counting leaves long enough to glance back up. “Really. Don’t force yourself to ask out girls. You know, there are plenty of… well, other guys here that may feel similarly. To you.”

“This is not a conversation I wish to hold so publicly, no, anywhere for that matter. We’ve been over this. It is not a possibility.”

“Sure it is! All you have to do –”

“Enough, Sylvain. Please.” That seemed to silence the other. He unfurled his cape slightly as he turned, looking straight ahead, eyes not focused on anything in particular, and tuned his thoughts into the _clunks_ his boots made against the tiled pathways.

There was an exasperated protest before Sylvain followed behind him, mumbling something that Dimitri ignored. And to think he believed this would go smoothly.

The dining hall was always full of distractions, both good and bad. He retrieved his plate without much fuss before seating himself amongst his usual group. They chattered about him but he didn’t feel up to talking much, brushing them off with impersonal but polite responses.

“Your Highness. If I may.”

Dimitri looked up from pushing around his spinach long enough to notice Dedue staring at him. There was no shaking this one off, he knew from experience. “Yes, Dedue, and please – just my name is fine.”

Dedue visibly struggled for a moment before continuing. “Your Highness. I wish to ask on the behalf of everyone. Is everything alright?”

A quick glance around the table clued him in that everybody had quieted and were looking at him. It was all a bit much. “Yes, everything is quite fine.” The ‘_I don’t want to talk about it’_ was clear.

Now everyone was uncomfortable, wonderful. They’d all started looking elsewhere, picking at their food, or glancing off to the side. Dimitri sighed then set back to forcing down dinner.

-+-

Sleep had been fitful. He would never be able to move forward at this rate, especially not if his friends kept reminding him of the effects his withered and decaying love life was having on him.

Training would help.

He struck the target with a powerful diagonal blow, the impact reverberating up the handle and making a loud _thwack_.

If he couldn’t focus – _thwack – _he spun to strike again.

Then what was even the point of being here at the academy – _thwack – _the assault continued.

These feelings were merely a distraction from his larger goals. Inconvenient.

When the first target cracked and split under the next strike he merely set up another. He would cut down as many targets as it took to simply be freed from these thoughts.

As it turned out, it took a lot of targets. The monks were likely to scold him at this rate, not that replacements would be impossible to obtain, but more so that this was a lot of work to clean up. He stood up, flinging his hair out of his eyes as he did so. The length of this hairstyle was also inconvenient. Was he just doomed to be happy with nothing these days?

The dull haze the activity brought on was shattered the moment he heard three slow claps and a whistle. He turned with a stern look, expecting to have to brace for one of Felix’s barbs – only to lock eyes with Claude’s permanently unreadable smile.

“Wow, I mean, I’ve seen you in action before, but you’ve really gotten good at handling a spear lately. Getting in any extra practice?” There was a wink on the last part.

“It’s a lance,” he mumbled mostly to himself as he straightened up, fixing his cape back to its proper place. Dimitri chalked up any warmth he felt in his face to training. He cleared his throat. “Claude. Hello. To what do I owe the honor?”

“No honor, really.” His laugh was pleasant but short. “So formal, I wonder how hard it is to get you to loosen up a bit.”

What… “Uhm.” Eloquent. This time he could not in good conscience attribute the blush to exercise.

Claude laughed again. “Just kidding around with you. So. I noticed your group sure trains a lot, I guess it’s your doing then. Is that all you do with your free time?”

What on earth was the point of this conversation? “Yes, I mean, no –” He paused then set out to try again while Claude visibly suppressed what was likely some sort of barbed joke. “Training is crucial to maintain strength. Even so, no, it is not all I do with my free time.”

The tanned man hummed, continuing to walk further into the clearing; he was able to step over the clutter of destroyed targets without even looking down at the pieces. That effortless grace was something Dimitri had always admired about the other, even when his… less suitable traits showed their face. Like now. He kept a steady eye on him.

“I see, so you’ve got time on your hands then. We should hang out! Get to know one another better. Inter-class relations, that sort of deal. You know the type.” Claude smiled handsomely, hands out in an open gesture, and it looked almost like one of the looks Sylvain gave his targets. Unwitting innocents, minding their own business lured in by nothing more than a nice smile… Wait a moment.

Things were clear now. There were few other possibilities. Claude must have seen his clumsy efforts at flirting yesterday, they had been rather public exchanges after all. Or perhaps he’d overheard Sylvain somehow? Best to get this over with. “Claude, I apologize for my bluntness, but what is the point of interrupting me? We do not normally… hang out.” _And I’m not exactly in the mood to be mocked_, he added to himself.

Claude faltered for just a split second before rolling his eyes. “I’m flirting with you? Duh.”

Oh.

He blushed and readjusted his grip on the lance for lack of better distractions. “Flirting… with me.” He narrowed his eyes. Only one person even remotely knew of his interests and it was absolutely not Claude. So how did he know? “Why..?”

“Nothing complicated. You had some concerned friends, one thing leads to another and here we are. I didn’t exactly prepare a fully supported argument for this.”

Ah. Disappointment settled back in like an old friend. “I see. So who then, Sylvain I presume? Has put you up to this.”

Claude laughed. Why was he laughing.

“Nobody’s put me up to anything! As a fellow bachelor Sylvain merely… let it slip that you’re sort of on the market, _my_ kind of market if you catch my drift.” Another damned wink.

“Your kind of…” So he _knew_. That was it then. He didn’t exactly trust the man renown for schemes and subterfuge to keep a secret like that.

The thought must have reflected on his face since Claude’s own seemed to change to something more sympathetic. “Trust me, didn’t exactly need to force me, you know. Somebody like you is a rare catch.”

Now he was back to that weird feeling, somewhere between flattered and ashamed. “Somebody like me,” he repeated back.

The statement sent Claude’s just natural enough but still somehow perfectly groomed eyebrows – damn him – up in surprise. “Well. I mean, you’re an attractive young man out here training in a flurry of sweat and muscles, it’s all rather appealing. Beautiful blonde hair, and your style is always impeccable. I’ve taken notes from you on the subject before.” The mask-smile was back but wasn’t quite as strong as usual. “I mean really, how _do_ you get your cape to do that thing?”

Dimitri didn’t quite know how to react. Precedents failed him; there was no category for this interaction so far. Claude likely did not need his status, a crest, an heir – not from him at least. Something that felt suspiciously like hope welled up. If a man he had always admired for being attractive was willingly flirting with him…

“Thing?” He echoed numbly, mind astray.

Claude made a brief spinning motion with his hand, encouragingly.

Pay attention. “Oh, when I turn.” Dimitri couldn’t help but brighten up a tad. “I am merely accustomed to wearing it often. I may as well incorporate it into usual motions.” Was that an interesting enough topic? Likely not. This was always so difficult and he’d had little practice. But he’d worked hard on learning how to gracefully pull off wearing a cape; it was nice that somebody had noticed.

Luckily the other seemed to be charmed by his response. At least, that was the judgement Dimitri made based on the new smile-wrinkles around Claude’s eyes. He was normally incorrect on such interpretations, however. It was Sylvain’s strong suit, not his.

“I see. Maybe we can find out what other sort of motions you’re capable of, who knows, you may like some of them.” The usual smile had morphed into something much more intense. “What do you say – after dinner, perhaps?” One hand went to his hips while the other flipped upwards in a casual gesture.

That sent something twisting deep in the pit of his stomach. Lower? Dimitri tried to not linger on it. They were in public for Seiros’ sake. “Y-yes, that would be agreeable.”

Claude smiled at him again, all perfect teeth and skin. “Excellent! It’s a date then. My room, tonight.” He gave a gleeful thumbs up. How on earth did he manage to make even that look suave? “See you there,” was all he ended with before spinning to leave, mask-smile plastered back on.

Dimitri was happy to note that Claude really was unable to perform the same grandiose cape-swoop gesture.

For good measure – and once he was certain Claude was gone – Dimitri gave a particularly dramatic version, the vibrant blue fabric fluttering to the side, lance arm held outward, before he set back into training with a new fervor.

Flirting with him. Because he was attractive.

He couldn’t help but feel sort of, well, giddy about it. The sort of giddy that Ingrid would get when she’d describe one of her favorite books; clutching it close to her chest, her eyes would light up, and she’d nearly begin to bounce in place as if her happiness was lifting her from the ground. That sort of giddy.

He of course did a much better job of hiding such reactions. It would be uncouth for someone of his status to behave in such a manner, he reminded himself as he cleaned up the field, making a somewhat neat pile of the shattered targets before heading out.

Students always gave him looks as he walked by, even if it was merely thanks to the echoed clacking his boots sent around the vaulted stone ceilings. Today though he got a few waves from other students, even a couple of smiles and exactly one ‘hello.’ It was a pleasant change. Were his foul moods really that obvious?

Perhaps.

The rest of the day drifted by as Dimitri used this new motivation to catch up on his schoolwork, tidy up his room, repair some torn garments; any and all chores were conquerable today. If he let himself lounge about his all-too-familiar anxieties about what exactly he’d agreed to threatened to bubble up and ruin this opportunity. It was simply unacceptable.

The hallway sounded busy. He glanced up out his window; it was surprisingly late. Dinner soon, hopefully this one would fare better than yesterday’s.

He stepped out, carefully shutting the door behind him. “Dimitri!” Sylvain looked nervous, how long had he been waiting here? “You seem… good, today.”

“Sylvain. Yes, I daresay that today is good. I got a lot of work done.” They started walking towards the dining hall but Sylvain still seemed stressed. About yesterday maybe? “Is something bothering you? You’re doing that thing with your hands.”

“What thing – oh, well, yes. I… um.” The look he gave was sheepish, full of shame. “Last night I was out drinking with some girls, and Claude showed up, and you know how he is and of course he asked about you.” He started speaking faster. “And so I told him you were in one of those moods, and he said what moods, so I said oh you know, the ones where Dimitri is sad that he can’t get laid.” He took a deep breath. “So! And then I… elaborated, and he was _so_ serious about it, ate up every word. I just --”

Dimitri smiled a bit, trying to keep it hidden from his companion. “So you let it slip that I like men.”

Sylvain’s face was worth the uncomfortable knot saying such things aloud brought him.

“How did you –”

“Don’t dwell on it, Sylvain.”

He reached out to stop him, brown eyes flashing with concern. “What do you mean don’t dwell on it that’s like your least favorite thing to talk about and I _told _somebody.”

“Well really I should be thanking you. Claude and I had a lovely talk.”

Eyes widened. “Talk.”

“And I sort of.” He gestured emptily, the words not feeling quite right. Or real. “We have a date. I suppose. A… something, at least.”

“What-!” Sylvain’s mood switched completely and his enthusiasm was undeniably contagious. After all, it seemed that the hours of suffering he’d endured trying to find _anybody_ for Dimitri had just paid off; Dimitri supposed he could let himself be happy about it too – if only just for a moment. He had a few stern words for letting his extremely private secrets be tossed about so carelessly behind his back.

To Sylvain's credit, he said not another word at the dinner table about _why _their prince suddenly could not stop smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heads up: this chapter contains gay sex. I have adjusted tags and rating accordingly.

Dimitri wished sometimes that he could channel some of Felix or Dedue’s ability to hide what they were feeling, it would certainly help a lot. Having to evade questions about why he was in a good mood had quickly put him into a bad one. It especially did not help that Sylvain kept winking and mouthing crass words at him from across the table while the rest of the group attempted to diagnose his ‘weird’ behavior; his protests fell on deaf ears and they continued their conversation without his input.

So what if they thought him being happy was weird, what did they know anyway? He stabbed a carrot with a bit more force than was necessary.

“Hmm, maybe he got really good grades on our last test!” was Annette’s latest contribution to the matter.

Ingrid snorted a bit. “Yeah right, Dimitri never gets  _ that  _ happy over his grades. He’d be all --” Dimitri looked up for this. Her posture improved in a mockery of his own, stiff and uptight, and she took a moment to drastically lower her voice before continuing. “Why Annette, these results are merely what one should expect of the future king of Faerghus. Nothing more, nothing less.” Annette broke out into quiet giggles, as did Sylvain, while the others tried their best to hide their amusement for Dimitri’s sake.

Damn them. Even he felt the corners of his mouth tug upward a bit. Leave it to her to split some of the attention away from him. “Of course. I’m glad we see eye on eye on the matter, Ingrid,” he responded primly.

She mimed back his sentence in her impression of his voice; Dedue, stoic as ever, quietly mentioned from his spot at Dimitri’s right that the impersonation was rather accurate. That was the closest he’d ever come to admitting he thought something funny, and while Ingrid’s smile cooled the rest of the group laughed in their agreement.

He grabbed a mouthful of potatoes to prevent himself from joining in. 

Mercedes took the opportunity to chime in an idea of her own, voice as soft as always, earnestness embodying every word. “With the way he keeps getting that dreamy look in his eyes, maybe he has a secret crush!”

His face shot bright red. Suddenly potatoes were one of the worst ideas he’d had in a while, he realized as he promptly inhaled them. 

Sylvain throwing his head back and positively  _ howling  _ with laughter didn’t help either. Any hope of his glare working to make him  _ shut the hell up _ was lost as he dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter so that he could… cough more violently? This was terrible.

Dimitri attempted to retort with a  _ dreamy?! _ but all that came out was more coughing. Dedue gave a firm strike to his back in an effort to help but all it did was bowl him halfway over the table. He supposed it was helpful enough, giving him the chance to keep his head hanging and avoid everybody’s eyes. His face was still burning red, he could feel it, but whether it was from choking or pure embarrassment he was unsure.

Distantly, he registered a few things as he attempted to regain the ability to breath. One, Dedue asking him something. Ignored. Two, Mercedes’ flustered cries along with Annette and Ashe’s efforts to calm her. Normally an amusing sight, now ignored. Three, Sylvain and Ingrid’s damned laughter; he made a note to himself to be cross with them for the rest of the night before ignoring them too.

A secret crush. A crush? No way. If he were to borrow one of Sylvain’s terms for his plans it would be a ‘fling.’ Nothing more. 

That didn’t change the fact that Mercedes was terrifyingly close with her guess.

Dedue was still trying to get his attention and ah – he was holding out a glass of water. How nice. He shot a look over at the rest of the group before taking it with a grateful glance to the man. It helped somewhat, and he cleared his throat again before turning attention upon the table’s occupants once more. They all attempted to school their faces into a more innocent expression as if they hadn’t just been openly laughing at him. 

At least Mercedes looked appropriately bashful about it. “I-I’m sorry, Dimitri! I did not mean to cause you such, a-ah, embarrassment o-or anything, I swear it.” She really did look sorry. He’d probably find her holed up in the cathedral all day tomorrow in repentance.

“It is quite fine, Mercedes. Do not concern yourself over it.” He adjusted his collar slightly in a subtle effort to massage at his neck a bit. Choking had not been a part of the dinner plan. “The rest of you are utterly despicable.” His face reddened again, which unfortunately lessened the intended impact, so he stood and prepared to leave entirely. Nothing could salvage this.

Sylvain smirked over at him, wiping away a tear with his napkin. “Seems you had the best guess of the night, Mercie.”

There was a chorus of goodnights and we-still-love-you-Dimitris as he strode away from the dining hall. Walking away was becoming a most valuable social tool as of late.

-+-

Now what was he to do?

He paced across the little empty space his room offered. It was impeccably clean, of course, everything put up and away from the floor in order to maximize its efficiency. He’d thought about changing out of his armor into something more casual, but the thought sent him spiraling back into a flurry of awkward and hard-to-deal-with emotions, so he discarded the idea. Armor was safe. Familiar. Meant to guard vulnerability. He could certainly use a lot of that right now so it stayed on. The noise the pieces made as he paced back across the floor was also a wonderful distraction.

Clink, clink, clink. Pause. Turn. Clink, clink, clink.

It was officially ‘after dinner’ and he had absolutely no idea how to proceed on this … agreement, with Claude. There would not even be food there to serve as a distraction. They’d have to just talk, and Claude would quickly find out that Dimitri had nothing interesting nor remotely charming to say. On top of that, he would learn just how painfully inexperienced Dimitri was;  _ and you call yourself a prince _ . He could almost hear the words in Claude’s voice now along with that damned laughter directed at him.

Pacing came to a pause as he sat down onto his bed to hold his head in his hands in an effort to redirect his thoughts. 

He had been happy. Embarrassed and nervous sure, but  _ happy _ about Claude asking him out. In? Regardless, it was a Good Thing. And good things were not supposed to result in this complete loss of sense that he was having. That was saved for Bad Things. Like everyone mocking his lack of social intelligence. Which had happened just a bit ago. 

He made a frustrated noise. Go back to good. 

So he liked guys –  _ bad _ said the darker recesses of his thoughts – which was  _ fine _ , he said back to himself. He had been unable to ask out a guy for the longest time, so one taking interest in him was good, if not great. The guy taking interest in him was attractive, even he could admit that. Good. Said guy had left no room in his offer for Dimitri to falter over the details by providing a time, location, and not-so-subtle hint at planned activities. Good! Most importantly, thanks to the flattery, Dimitri had been in a good mood for hours afterwards. At least until dinner.

There were lots of good things. Why couldn’t he just be happy about it? He didn’t know for sure, and the thought soured his carefully made list.

A soft knock at the door interrupted the downward spiral his evening was taking. Dread filled his chest like a sharp blade and he found himself frozen, staring at the door.

“Dimitri?” It was unmistakably Ingrid. The relief wasn’t quite enough to completely counteract his fears, but it helped a little. 

“One moment.” He hardly recognized his own voice, it just sounded so tired. He ran his fingers through his bangs before taking a deep breath, schooling his expression to his practiced, polite persona and opening the door. “Ingrid. What brings you here at this hour?”

He noted that she looked worried, even if she perked up upon seeing him. “Oh Dimitri, I am so sorry about dinner tonight I did not mean to make you feel ashamed or anything!”

Ah. Her apology continued on a bit before he raised a hand and interrupted, giving her a small smile. “It’s alright, really. Your impression was one of the more positive ones I’ve heard.”

“Are you sure? You look…” Sad? Worried? Completely hopeless? “Like you could use some advice.” Good save. “I have lots to offer, here, Mercedes even packed you up this lovely little gift. I think it’s got those candies you like in it.” He looked down and indeed, it seemed she had brought over an entirely stocked care package for him, tied with a ribbon and everything. She was giving him a hopeful look. “Can I come in for a bit?”

Well, it wasn’t as if he was going to willingly walk down the hall to Claude at this rate, so he stepped aside to let her by before quietly shutting the door. “Sit down, Dimitri.”

Ingrid was full mother hen mode and he knew all too well that there was no stopping this. He sat down on his bed and folded his hands. She gave him a look, one that reminded him of his mother and suddenly he felt painfully young again. She waited expectantly, saying nothing while he sorted out what he wanted to say, and made busy by setting the candies she had brought over on his desk.

“I…” he started before stopping again. Ugh, this was terrible. “I suppose Mercedes was not entirely wrong with her guess this evening.” Ingrid was a better option than Sylvain though, simply listening to him with an encouraging smile rather than interrupting with a story of her own. “But I would clarify that it is n-not a  _ crush _ , rather just that, I sort of have an  _ arrangement _ with um, someone. Tonight.”

Her eyes lit up. “Dimitri that’s wonderful! So why are you sitting in here then, pacing and sulking?”

“I am not sulking –” he retorted before she cut him off.

There was the look again. “Are you worried? You always stress over these things, you should go for it and see what happens!”

He held eye contact for precisely four seconds while his brain attempted to process the fact that he was getting advice from Ingrid about the pathetic remains of his  _ sex life _ . At least he could have expected this with Sylvain. He never should have let her in. Back into the spiral his thoughts went.

“Dimitri. Rein it in. Look at me. Say ‘okay’ if you’re listening.” She snapped her fingers in front of him. 

“Okay, okay! I’m listening.”

She crossed her arms and ah, there was the Ingrid he was used to. “Now, I know you’re not ever gonna be like Sylvain. You get all feely and attached,” he opened his mouth to retort but she held up a finger and continued on, “and you don’t want to upset anyone. But upset comes from  _ after _ trying. Not before. That’s the whole point of dating, the real kind – not Sylvain’s idea of it. To find out compatibility. And how are you supposed to find out if you don’t try?” She paused to let her words sink in for a moment before pressing forward. “So you tell me who your arrangement tonight is with and we’re gonna march over there right now.”

Well, she had a point, but… “W-we?”

“Yes, we! I’ll stay out of sight, but I don’t trust that you’ll go through with it unless you have a witness. You’ll just end up back here a miserable wreck again.” Her eyes softened and voice grew softer. “You seemed really happy before we called you out on it. It’d… it’d be really nice to see you like that more often.” 

The exact emotion of her expression evaded his knowledge but the words’ impact was unaffected. “Okay,” he responded quietly.

“Okay.” She smiled at him. “Sooo… who is it?” 

“Ah, r-right.” He shifted uncomfortably, floor suddenly interesting. Well, there wasn’t any easy way to put it subtly, so here went nothing. “Claude.”

Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?! You landed a date – sorry,  _ arrangement _ – with Claude von Riegan?” she asked, voice high-pitched with disbelief.

“Yes, he asked me,” was his slow response. “Should I be concerned?”

“Dimitri. You have no idea how popular he is just, never mind. You get out of this room and down to him this instant. Look, he’s an easy first try, practically carries a conversation all by himself. You’ve got this.”

Dimitri looked up at her and apparently looked as pathetic as he felt since her eyes scrunched in sympathy. He let out a deep sigh before standing. “Okay. I’ve got this.” That was a lie.

“Yes! Completely.”

“Yes.”

“You’re the prince of Faerghus. King, really.”

“It seems so.”

“You’ve dealt with worse,” she reasoned.

“Technically,” was his careful response.

Ingrid rolled her eyes and he took a moment to smile shakily at her. She clapped him on the shoulder and gave a hearty smile back.

For a moment he wished that she’d transform into Sylvain so he could ask if his hair looked fine, and what on earth was he supposed to wear to something like this? Claude was essentially royalty, it would be a huge misstep to poorly judge the situation.

“Hey! You look great, as always. Stop fussing with your bangs.” She swatted at his hand. “You aren’t going to need whatever you’re wearing anyway –” Dimitri was glad to not be eating, he would have surely choked again. “—so let’s go!” Instead of trying to convince him further she took his hand and, wow she had gotten stronger, pulled him from his room and out into the hallway.

Immediately he saw at least three familiar heads of hair duck behind the door of the room next to his. Dedue wasn’t quite as ashamed about hovering outside Dimitri’s room so he remained standing tall, just poised to ask a question, before Sylvain’s hand shot out and pulled him into the room with all the rest of the group. There were muffled protests. Dimitri suspected Dedue was more than capable of breaking away, just that manners got in the way.

“Quickly,” Ingrid whispered at him before chauffeuring him down the hall, her grip shockingly strong.

He was sure to speak quietly. “How do you know where Claude’s room is?”

It was hard to tell, but he swore that her cheeks took on a rosy tinge. “Hush, you.” She gave two firm knocks on a generic looking door and oh – Dimitri felt that  _ dread _ plunge back into his heart. 

“ _ Ingrid! _ ” he hissed at… the empty space Ingrid had just occupied. He watched helplessly, frozen in place, as she ran off down the hallway where the rest of his class stood; they had opened the door so they could peer down the hallway around it, a row of curious eyes. Just as he was about to follow after her the door clicked open.

Icy panic accompanied the dread. He quickly turned to face said door, his princely public persona sliding into place just as Claude filled his view. Hoping that his panic wasn’t completely apparent, he gave a stiff, “Hello.”

Claude’s eyes gained a new glint to them as his face,  _ beautiful, stupid, flawless face  _ his mind provided, broke into a smile. He was wearing a much more casual outfit, really just some loose trousers and a wonderfully fitted shirt, and Dimitri looked past him to see that the room was expertly lit with candles of all and – were those flower petals strewn over the bed? His stomach twist into a knot and any words he’d been hoping to add to his greeting eluded him.

Claude was much better prepared. “Dimitri, hello!” He stepped to the side, arm gesturing grandly towards the space behind him. “I was worried you got lost on your way here.”

Here went nothing. He could only imagine the field day his classmates were having over this; the thought of their joy provided little comfort as he walked in and looked around. The room was identical to his, just messier and with yellow accents rather than blue. There were also plenty of personal items strewn about, various cards and heirlooms filled all the space upon the shelves. A noticeable layer of dust upon the desk’s main surface indicated that it was little used.

He drank it in for a moment before responding. “That is preposterous, it would be impossible to get lost in the hallway.” He heard Claude shut the door and lock it with a small click. It did nothing to ease the searing pain his panic was starting to inflict. Turning around to look at the other didn’t help either. Claude just gave him a knowing look, brows raised along with the corners of his mouth. 

Oh. It was a joke.

Dimitri attempted a smile.

Claude laughed. 

Had he done well? Maybe. It gave him just enough hope to not bolt from the room.

Claude shook his head, dark hair swaying over his face. “Of course, but I wouldn’t put it past someone. After all, it seems like new territory for you.” 

The subtext of that question was loud enough for even himself to pick up on. Claude looked as if he could hardly keep in his mirth while Dimitri took a split second to think of a response. Were his emotions truly so easy to read? He made a mental note to ask somebody later. Sylvain, maybe. For now, he needed to focus. He was a terrible liar, so honesty was probably his safest bet. “You could say that, I suppose.”

“Hmm.” Claude walked up to him and he was just  _ so close _ . “I remember mentioning something about loosening you up, hm? What do you say to that?”

_Yes yes yes_ chanted a suddenly very loud part of him while the other part, the one full of dread and fear cowered in response. What he actually ended up saying was more of a quiet mumbled mess. An eyebrow quirked up at him. Try again. 

No words came out. This was just a fling. One night was all it would take, it would be nice, then life would go on. He could do this. Now his mouth hung open slightly so, damn it all, he just nodded instead, snapping it shut. Useless. 

“Good answer,” he purred at him. If he thought Claude had been close to him before he was positively invasive now. A hand had found its way to the strap across his chest and was meandering up his collar while the other came to rest on his shoulder. Dimitri felt his heart speed up while he took a half step backwards out of pure instinct. 

“I have to say, you’ve really caught my eye, Dimitri. Not many people can say that.” Claude had a hand snaking its way around back down his chest and Dimitri fell another step back as the other man pressed forward.

“Y-yeah?” What should he do? Now body and mind were at least on the same page, he definitely  _ wanted _ this, just now his panic took on a new form. What was he supposed to do?! He backed into the desk in a decidedly ungraceful manner and one hand shot down to its edge to steady himself.

A smirk broke out across Claude’s face which was still unbelievably flawless, even at this distance. “Oh yeah. That perfection you emanate is more than tempting enough.” His voice dropped slightly. “I want to peel away all those barriers you put up and see what you’re like completely undone.” The last two words were slow, deliberate. Fingers danced across his collarbone with each syllable. “Now, you seem a little shaky, so I’ve got to ask. Sound agreeable?” 

Bright brown eyes took on new depths in this lighting, this context, and Dimitri found it impossible to look anywhere else. They were simply hypnotizing and they were locked onto him. Nothing else. Not to mention his body felt  _ hot _ and the way Claude’s hands kept running over him only helped to further that situation; the hand on his shoulder crept close enough to rub a thumb across the small bit of exposed skin on his neck and he couldn’t help but lean in slightly.

“ _ Yes _ .” Was that his voice? “Sounds agreeable.” His fingers clenched around the desk’s edge until  the knuckles were white. He made an impressive effort to set aside any political consequences this affair would have because, expectations be damned, he wanted this. 

Claude smiled at him , sultry. “I like your honesty. Rare these days.” 

Dimitri suppressed the childish joy the compliment gave him in favor of focusing on Claude’s hand wrapping around the back of his neck. There was no time for a response as Claude’s lips locked around his. This was a nice development, if a bit awkward. He was rusty. 

He made an effort to relax, eyes slipping shut as a hand of his own found its way onto Claude’s shoulder so he could lean in closer. That was apparently a good choice as the casually-clad man reached his other hand down Dimitri’s chest; he felt Claude smile between them, so he pulled back, taking a moment to cherish how Claude looked, smiling, eyes shut and lips barely parted. 

“You are wearing  _ so  _ many clothes.”

Dimitri felt his face flush. “I didn’t realize there was a code for this.” 

That earned him another laugh, a soft one. “Take. Them. Off.” Each word was accompanied by a gentle tap along his neck. Dimitri set about the task, undoing the cape first then frowning down at the desk. 

Claude poked a finger at him. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s dusty.” Honestly the floor looked cleaner than the desk he was sat on. Regardless, he made a show of tossing his cape and gloves on the desk just to the side. A small spark of boldness struck up. “You’ll have to make it up to me.”

And  _ that  _ was a good thing to say. Claude’s eyes positively lit up before scanning him over, stopping at his neck where his hands worked to unfasten his shirt. He blinked before looking back up, a mischievous glint all that remained of that initial reaction. There was a short chuckle before he spoke again. “I can certainly make it up you.”

Dimitri had finally worked out of the top half of his clothes and he looked across at Claude, who had leaned against his dresser and was watching him disrobe. A change of outfit would probably have been smart, this was taking far too long for his liking. It gave too much time for talking. He was doing okay so far, though. “Oh?”

He had just worked off his boots when Claude reached over, grabbed a hand, and all but threw him onto the ridiculously-strewn-with-flowers bed. “You seem like more of a show-don’t-tell guy, so let me show you something.” There was a brief flash of a smile, perfect teeth catching the light, before Claude pushed him back onto the bed. Soon, he swung a leg up and over so that he sat very firmly on top, hands pressing palms down over his shoulders. 

He was painfully aware of the way Claude pressed his hips forward into his own, and suddenly felt quite out of his element again. His panic was silenced when Claude brushed a hand under his chin, pulling his gaze back up so that they could lock their mouths together once more. 

The kiss was much deeper this time and he found himself worrying less as he focused his attention to the man on top of him. His eyes slid shut. Should he do something with his hands? He ran a hand experimentally up the back of Claude’s thighs. 

His effort was rewarded rather immediately when Claude brought a hand down to press into the cloth strained tight against his erection. It provoked a noise from deep in his throat, eyes opening briefly with a note of surprise. Claude pulled his head up to get a better look at his face, gaze enraptured. 

There was another smile, a small one, filled with what Dimitri could only describe as lust. Directed at him. Was he so desirable? 

Claude’s fingers pressed in again, briefly searching for a better way to wrap his fingers around his shaft even with the barrier of fabric before making their way down the full length. He was better prepared this time and bit down on his lip to silence himself.

A rhythm had soon picked up out of the motion and Dimitri was finding it harder to keep quiet, a distant fear of somebody in the hallway hearing him and  _ knowing _ nagged at the back of his mind.

“I want to hear you moan for me again,” Claude whispered at him before running his fingers over the end of his cock and Dimitri couldn’t help but immediately oblige, any plans sent scattered into the night air as he moaned quietly, muffled as much as he could get it. His head tilted up just in time to see Claude’s hand deftly slide up his stomach before finding its way between skin and fabric, working the waistband down slightly. He couldn’t help but notice Claude’s own cock straining forward; there was a small flicker of unease. Would Claude ignore himself for Dimitri’s benefit? While pleasing...

“Staring, hm. Have you no shame?” The bastard smirked at him. 

He had plenty of shame if the heat in his face was anything to go by. Before he could manage a retort, the hand wrapped firmly around his cock reminded him that it was a disturbingly effective tool at rendering his mind completely useless. 

His breath hitched as his skin seemed to only get hotter, heat coiling in the pit of his stomach, and he just selfishly wanted  _ more.  _ It would not do. Shame was no longer an option at this point. “Claude,” he managed between breaths, heavy ones now, “y-you—“

“Yes?” He was apparently enjoying this broken request and showed no sign of mercy, eyes taking in every detail of his reactions. It was incredibly hot, so long as Dimitri didn’t have to make eye contact back. 

“I want—“ The request was cut off by another suppressed moan. Fuck, it felt good.  _ Focus,  _ he told himself. This could not be allowed to end so early. Eyes slide shut. “To get you off,” he finished, voice fast. 

The  _ oh  _ Claude let out was enough to urge him to reopen his eyes. 

While he had a hard time reading the man, Dimitri could tell it was the most interested he’d ever seen him. More importantly his hand stopped and Dimitri let out a long, shaky breath to steady himself. Claude seemed to be thinking. 

“Ever been fucked before? Sorry, wasn’t really a good way to ask that,” he added after seeing the expression on Dimitri’s face. 

“No.” At least a hundred concerns shot through his mind at once, but they were all shadowed under a surprisingly strong sense of curiosity. “But... I am not say, opposed, to the idea.” His voice could not have been any quieter but Claude had still heard every word. 

He felt the other tense up slightly; excitement? “You’ll let me?” 

This was likely his only chance. “Sure.” The confidence was mostly false, but he’d been through worse things. This was completely survivable. Surely. 

The smile Claude gave him was without a doubt stunning. Any other paled in comparison when pitted against the sight of Claude von Riegan on top of him smiling down at him as if he wanted nothing else in the world. It would be worth anything he had to endure, he decided. There was just a split second of it before he dashed away to his dresser, digging through the top drawer. 

“Get those clothes off already!” Lovely idea. It was good to have something to do to distract himself from how damned nervous he felt once the other pulled away.

Claude returned with a small tin of something and absolutely no clothing. Dimitri had a quick glance at the other’s erection to size him up before his attention was drawn back up with a smile. Words barely registered over the sight of Claude’s chest laid bare before him. “Only the finest for you, promise.” He winked before throwing the lid somewhere to the side. “Now, breathe deep and remember to  _ relax _ .” Ah, lubricant, he realized belatedly while watching Claude spread a generous amount across his hand... which promptly was spread over his untouched length. Dimitri felt his own cock throb in response. 

“This’ll hurt at first. But I’ll make it up to you right away, okay?” 

Dimitri nodded mutely, slightly overwhelmed if he was to be honest. 

Claude pushed aside a knee and settled between his legs before leaning up over him. At least this was familiar. A finger pressed against his entrance before sliding in and  _ oh it really did hurt _ he thought, eyes scrunching shut in response. There were reassurances as Claude’s other hand finding its way onto his hips, thumb rubbing an uneven circle into his skin. A second finger joined the first and together they began to stretch him open slightly; he had known this is what the activity entailed but apparently the knowledge didn’t help much at all. 

A hand of his own found its way to his face so he could bite down on a knuckle.

He was not about to  _ whimper _ during this. Not out loud. His other hand clenched at the bed and he shifted in place slightly, trying helplessly to find a better angle. Just any relief, really. 

“Shhh. Relax. You’re doing so well.”

Relax. He forced a deep breath and made an effort to untense his muscles. If he focused, the rhythm of it began to be something... bearable. 

A complete lie. A third finger. Was sex even possible like this? It  _ hurt _ . 

“Tell me if it hurts too much,” Claude said in a soft voice. He considered speaking up immediately but —

Oh — 

Claude’s fingers pressed into a different angle, a new spot, a  _ good _ one. Now he bit down to muffle this new reaction. 

“Like that?” He didn’t open his eyes to see if one of those beautiful smiles was there because Claude’s fingers pressed in again to just the right spot and it seemed like the full of his body pulsed in delight. 

Dimitri let out what he thought to be a rather stupid sounding moan in return, louder than earlier but still shy.

“Ahh. You’re  _ beautiful, _ ” Claude kept up the motion and Dimitri could only gasp rather helplessly back, hands now both clenched into the sheets for lack of anything better. “I can’t wait any longer.” 

Fingers pulled out, hands hooked under his knees and soon he felt Claude’s length press into him. And gods, it  _ hurt  _ again; this time Dimitri did let out something somewhere between a gasp and a decidedly pathetic whimper. However, just as he thought he couldn’t take in any more, Claude’s eyes slid shut and a wonderfully deep moan passed over his lips. Loud. Something akin to pure delight curled in his chest. Pride? It didn’t matter as soon those eyes fluttered open just to look down at him and Dimitri’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. 

He bit down on his lip as Claude slowly, so painfully slowly, worked his way back up into a rhythm. It turned out that a cock was much better when it hit into the right place, and soon Dimitri couldn’t help if he moaned out on nearly every breath. The noise of the affair bothered him less each time Claude thrust back into him and it was all he could do to writhe underneath. Claude spoke at him, phrases that sounded mostly like praise whispered out between labored breaths of his own.  _ Yes  _ and  _ more _ seemed to be the only words his brain came up with to respond with. Good answers, his body told him. 

“Can you come for me?” was Claude’s next sentence and true to form, with an eager yes, Dimitri obliged him again. 

-+-

Now that they had pulled apart, both a sweaty, sticky mess Dimitri noted sourly, worries came flooding back. What if somebody had heard? What should he do now? Had he done well? Such thoughts were exhausting so he turned his attention elsewhere. 

He watched Claude search for the lid to the tin amongst the clothes strewn about the floor, humming quietly to himself. There was a glint of something just near the dresser. “Claude.” 

“Hmm?” Claude turned, followed where his finger was pointing then, “Ah!” He’d gotten it. 

Dimitri let himself stretch out all the way through his legs and up his arms before he sat up. Hm. Ouch. He’d be sore.

“So, you’re probably not gonna be so happy tomorrow, as you probably just found out. Take it easy, okay?” Mask-smile was back and it made him miss the delightful one from earlier. 

He blushed right on cue but wasn’t quite sure what to say. His head felt rather foggy, somehow. 

Claude smiled at him and handed him a washcloth. “Peace offering, your Highness.” 

Ugh, was all he managed to think. “Don’t call me that,” he mumbled before he was able to filter himself. Panic, ah, he’d been wondering where it was. 

Eyebrows shot up. “Why not?” Claude challenged. 

“I... I don’t like the other students to point it out.” A deep, longing stare at his armor across the room was better than making eye contact right now. “I’d rather just be treated equally while I’m here.”

There was a moment of silence before he got a response. A smile too — a more honest one. “I get it. Sorry.” He found and pulled back on the loose, casual pants. “You know, normally everybody’s here for the Claude von Riegan fantasy. Hence the flower petals and romantic candles.” Dimitri gave the candles a second look but he still wasn’t sure how they were different. “It was... nice, to find out that you weren’t.”

“I am rather oblivious to such things, I’ve found.”

Claude’s smile was tinged with enough emotion to match his own. 

-+-

Sore he would be, he thought as he shut the door behind him with a quiet click. He made an effort to not limp as he walked quietly down the hall, boots making nothing more than quiet clinking. Dedue always checked in on him in the early morning and he didn’t dare to imagine the consequences of not being present. Claude had been understanding and bid him a rather pleasant goodnight, kiss and everything. 

_ We should do this again sometime _ . 

He’d be thinking about that for possibly the rest of his life, he realized as he shut the door to his own room and collapsed upon his bed. Clothes were cast into a pile upon the floor in a fashion uncharacteristic to him; Dedue would be sure to comment on it. Oh well. That would be tomorrow, tonight he had done good and that was enough for him. Good indeed. He couldn’t help but smile a bit as he curled up under the quilt and thought only of that one true smile he’d glimpsed from Claude and of  _ again sometime _ . 

And of how only answer he could think of to say had been  _ yes _ . 


End file.
